At last!

Having played their last three games against the top three sides in Division 2C, Bangor used the league’s rest weekend to prepare for the final group of games that will bring the league to its half-way point. With only three losing bonus points to show for their earlier efforts, and uncomfortably positioned at the bottom of the league table, it was vital that Bangor got back to winning ways and face 2024 with a more promising outlook. Omagh, although in a slightly less precarious position to Bangor, were only two places higher in the league and would also have been keen to add to their points tally. So the scene was set for what promised to be a highly competitive Ulster derby.

It was a bitterly cold afternoon at Upritchard Park, but playing conditions were excellent, with no wind to contend with and a firm (but not frozen) pitch underfoot. It was Omagh who kicked off towards the cricket end, and immediately the combination of cold hands and opening nerves was apparent as Bangor fumbled the ball and immediately gave Omagh a chance to attack. Bangor were forced to defend as Omagh looked to strike an early blow. Having weathered the initial storm, Bangor were then unfortunate to stray offside, giving Omagh the chance to kick for the corner and attack from their lineout. The big Tyrone men made no mistake as they safely gathered the ball and then drove over for a try in the left hand corner. The conversion was missed, but it was the visitors who were first on the scoreboard by 0-5 after just 6 minutes of play.

Not a great start from Bangor’s point of view but, from the restart, they soon started to get into their stride with good set pieces by the forwards and eager running through the backs. As confidence grew, Bangor showed some of their attacking ability when a looping run started by Craig Gilroy at full back was taken on through Conor Lusty and then Connor Scollan on the left wing. Although Scollan rounded a couple of defenders, he was tackled short of the goal line and the ball went to ground. However, Thomas Boyd had been on Scollan’s shoulder and was on hand to scoop up the ball and drive over the final few metres for the try in the corner. Gareth Millar’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but Bangor were back on level terms at 5-5.

Omagh got their noses in front again a few minutes later when a straight but long range penalty was successfully kicked and, as the game progressed, it looked like they might retain their lead through to half time. However, as Bangor’s forwards began to enjoy the upper hand, a period of sustained pressure close to Omagh’s 5 metre line was eventually finished off with a determined run by Will Brown which saw him stretch for the line and score close to the Omagh posts. Millar added the conversion, putting Bangor 12-8 with just a few minutes of the first half remaining.

As they were again forced to defend their goal line, Omagh were dealt another blow when they had a player yellow carded for a high tackle. With the clock having reached the final play of the half, Bangor opted for the 5 metre scrum penalty. Good control of the ball at the back of the scrum by Mike Weir, combined with the collective efforts of the pack in front of him saw Bangor rumble towards the goal line, only for the Omagh pack to collapse and, in so doing, concede a penalty try which extended Bangor’s lead to 19-8 as the referee blew for the end of the half.

Undoubtedly Omagh would have been smarting from the 14 points Bangor added in the final 5 minutes of the first half but, as the second half got underway, they certainly didn’t let it affect their determination to get back on terms. This effort, combined with a sluggish start by Bangor, saw Omagh score twice in the opening 5 minutes to get back in front by 19-20. It was now vital for Bangor to not only halt the Omagh comeback, but also add to their try tally and pick up a vital bonus point in the process. As they settled themselves, Bangor managed to get back into their stride and, after another spell camped on Omagh’s goal line, Thomas Boyd squeezed over from short range for his second try of the game which, with the extras added by Millar’s conversion, put his side ahead again by 26-20.

As Bangor have found to their cost in earlier games, a six point lead is not a comfortable one. It was therefore encouraging to see the team maintain their concentration and determination to press on and make the game safe. Once again it was Boyd who finished off another goal line skirmish to claim his hat-trick of tries and, with Rhys Larmour now on kicking duties and completing the conversion, Bangor had moved into a 33-20 lead with 15 minutes left to play.

The pressure on Bangor was eased further when Larmour added a penalty to move the score to 36-20 which all but sealed the win. However, with three tries already under their belt, Omagh still had something tangible to play for and, with just a few minutes left on the clock, a series of pick and drives was rewarded with their bonus point try which brought the scores to 36-27. Although time was against them to overhaul Bangor’s lead, they knew that one more score of any kind would earn them an extra losing bonus point, but Bangor were aware of the situation and managed to close out the remaining minutes and restrict their opponents to the single, try-scoring bonus point.

While it is a relief to see Bangor back on winning form and move off the foot of the league table, it’s certainly not a surprise and will hopefully pave the way to further success when they travel to Ballina next weekend.